Above the main hall, although there are braziers burning all around. But the flames didn't seem to be able to dispel the chill above the temple.

And the cold is not caused by the weather!

Above the hall, the regent Prince Chen's face was cold and solemn. Sit on the throne. Silent and silent.

And below. Dozens of important ministers of the empire gathered together. But everyone's face is as heavy as water, just because. On top of the steps. A court ceremonial officer. is in a nervous voice. A copy of the latest battle report from the frontline was read aloud!

The court ceremonial official's voice was originally loud. But at this moment, when reading the battle report, his face became whiter and whiter. The voice was hoarse because he was too nervous, and his voice was faintly trembling when he reached the back......

"Presentation: On the afternoon of March 31, the enemy forced the crossing of the river defense. The 6th Infantry Division and the 9th Infantry Division of our Storm Regiment. The 3rd Cavalry Battalion and the Baggage Engineer Regiment were stationed in the river defense. The detachment of the eastern fortress station went out to fight on the river and fought fiercely until the evening. Our fleet was completely annihilated. Most of the sailors were martyred. In the evening, a total of 151 airship brigades stationed in our eastern fortress engaged the enemy in the airspace above the river defense. All 151 airships were shot down, and none of the 1,043 officers and men of the air force survived.

It was night, and the first forced crossing of the river was defended. The 6th Division of our division suffered heavy losses. The 9th Infantry Division suffered more than 40% casualties, and because the fleet was completely lost, we could not block the river. They were also unable to prevent the enemy from erecting pontoon bridges to cross the river, and fought fiercely until dawn on April 1, when the enemy forced the river and occupied the shoals and landed. Our troops are powerless to resist. Forced to withdraw to the fortified city defenses.

This battle. The air force and navy of the eastern line of defense were completely lost. It belongs to the 6th Infantry Division. From the division commander downwards, Major General Fink, the total number of officers and men of the division was 20,923, and all of them were killed in battle! More than 40 percent of the 9th Division suffered losses. And most of them are injured, and they have been ordered to retreat and reorganize. Now the enemy has about 100,000 troops who have successfully crossed the river. Chen soldiers are under the city. Before the letter. Already repelled three sieges of the enemy. The damage is huge!, the deputy commander of the Stormwind Legion. Imperial Lieutenant General Dominguez pleaded guilty. The death of the ministers is not enough to offset the crime of defeat. However, the war in the east is urgent. It is not a pity that I am alone in life and death. And the soldiers of our eastern front swear to die and coexist with the city defense.

The troops in the city are quite insufficient, and I ask the military headquarters to quickly transfer reinforcements, if the reinforcements do not arrive in January, I am afraid that the eastern fortress will no longer belong to the empire!"

At the end of the reading, the court ceremonial officer had cold sweat on his forehead. I couldn't help but wipe it twice with my sleeve. Only then did he take a deep breath and read the last sentence: "The commander of the Eastern Front, the deputy commander of the Storm Legion, Dominguez, was sincerely frightened, and immediately wrote a book. ”

Wow, I finally put away the battle report. The court ceremonial officer also seemed to be a little unable to stand up straight. Quickly turned around and bent down to the regent, and re-presented the battle report with both hands.

Time. There was a great silence in the hall, not a single person spoke, not even coughing. All the important ministers of the empire held their breath, and they did not dare to breathe, and quietly looked at the regent sitting on it, waiting for this king to speak. It's the Regent's Thunder Fury......

This scene of silence. It lasted nearly five minutes. If the regent doesn't speak, who down there would dare to speak?

Finally, the prince who had been sitting there with a frosty face. The corners of his mouth twitched a smile little by little, and that smile was naturally not happy. Rather, with an infinite chill.

"Huh...... Hehehehehe......" There was a taste of cruelty in the laughter. Prince Tatsu slowly stood up, his eyes swept over everyone, and finally landed on the Minister of War, Cammisilo. That's when he spoke.

"Good! Eight Sea Soul-class warships, thousands of navies, died in World War I! 150 airships, 1,000 air forces. Annihilation! A reorganized infantry division of the Empire's main battle corps. 20,000 people were killed. Even the commander of the division was martyred, and a main battle division was completely disabled! I heard that the accumulated corpses blocked the river! The river was red, and the face did not retreat! Haha...... This fiasco...... Everybody. Since the beginning of the Augustinian dynasty, all the years. Never!"

said. His eyes were calm, staring at Camisiro: "Camissiro, you tell me, even thirty years ago." We have never experienced such a fiasco in the great battle with the Northwest Steppe People!"

The god of Camisiro sè a tight. As the Minister of War, he had to take a step forward and cough. Said cautiously: "Your Highness is right. Thirty years ago, the empire went on an expedition to the steppes. That war lasted almost three years. The Emperor [**] team has never suffered such a crushing defeat. ”

"The eastern fortress originally had three main battle divisions, 60,000 garrisons drawn from the local area, and 40,000 heavy engineers...... Originally, the strength of the whole city had exceeded 200,000! But now, they actually came to ask for reinforcements! 200,000 people, with abundant food, grass and weapons, could not hold a city!!"

With the last loud shout, Prince Chen slapped the table hard, and a cup in front of him was shaken to the ground, and with a clatter, it turned into pieces!

"What do you military departments do? I heard that those enemy troops have races that can infest the underwater land! I learned about this kind of thing a few months ago! But why have you not been ready to deal with it? Thousands of sailors have died tragically, and tens of thousands of people will die next time. Are you military departments just starting to pay attention to it!! And the Air Force...... Doesn't the front line know that the other side has an air combat ground unit!!"

Camiciro was also aggrieved in his heart. But as Minister of War, he had to stand here at this moment. Bearing the wrath of the regent.

It's just that seeing that Prince Chen's anger is becoming more and more irrepressible, his chest rises and falls. Breathing rapidly, at the end, he suddenly shook his body, took half a step back, reached out and grabbed the armrest of the throne, and stroked his chest with one hand. He coughed violently.

Cramisiro gritted his teeth and knelt down on one knee, suffocating patiently. Finally, when Prince Chen finished coughing, he said slowly: "Your Highness...... Front-line strength, as the emperor's [**] minister, I naturally have an unshirkable responsibility, but it's just ......"

"It's just? just what?" Prince Chen's eyes were calm. Wheezed for a moment and stopped coughing. Stared at Camiciro coldly: "Do you still have any troubles! Hmph, I'll hand over the military headquarters to you." Now that you've lost the battle, you want to shirk your responsibility?!"

In the last sentence, there was a chill in that tone. In this moment. That cold look in his eyes made Camiciro can't help but shiver!

in memory. It seems that Prince Chen has not shown this kind of thunderous anger for a long, long time!

Since he ascended the throne, he has always been an unfathomable emperor, and he never shows his joys, sorrows, and sorrows.

But don't forget...... This Prince Chen is definitely not a simple gentle and kind person......! He started by a coup d'état! A ruthless man who put his father under house arrest and took away the imperial power!

Come to think of it. Camiciro's body shook, but he tried to calm down, raised his head, and looked at Prince Chen. His tone was respectful. But there was also a hint of firmness: "Your Highness, I dare not shirk my responsibility." As Minister of War, I am the most unfavorable in the High Command in formulating war plans. If there is a mistake or omission, as the head of the military department, I am naturally duty-bound and willing to bear your punishment......!

"But what?" Prince Chen said coldly.

"But......" Camisiro felt himself under the eyes of the other man, and a cold sweat ran down his spine. Bite the bullet and say, "But." In my opinion, there are two main reasons for the defeat of this battle! First, the navy on the river was defeated! The warship was lost. Without water superiority, we will not be able to block the river. Although the river is long, it is almost impossible to defend against! At this point, although it was learned a few months ago that the other side had an underwater race, the headquarters had been planning for a long time. But he couldn't come up with a perfect match. As a result, it has dragged on to this day! I am willing to take the blame and punish myself! And the second is the crushing defeat of the Air Force!"

Speaking of the miserable whiteness of the Air Force, Camisiro seemed to be a little more confident and knelt there. The spine is also straightened. Facing Prince Chen's eyes, he boldly said loudly: "The air force has suffered a fiasco, and this battle is of extraordinary significance! We just lost the river defenses. As long as you hold the city. Although the situation is somewhat inferior, there is still room for salvation. Far from the worst, the air force was defeated, and the enemy actually had a combat race that could fly in the air. This kind of thing. The impact on us is the greatest! The other side has such a force. It can fly in the sky and come and go like the wind...... In this way, no matter how strong our front-line Kaspersky defense line is, it cannot defend against the enemy in the sky! As long as the enemy is willing, their ground and air combat races can easily fly over the front line, and even reach the inner hinterland of the empire! Even if it is a surprise attack. I'm afraid it'......"

This last sentence was a little too shocking, but at this moment, I had to say it. Camiciro gritted his teeth fiercely and said proudly: "I'm afraid it's not impossible!"

As soon as these words came out, many ministers in the hall suddenly changed their faces, and they couldn't help but whisper to each other.

"Shut up!!" Prince Chen glared abruptly and drank. Murderous eyes swept over. Suddenly, the ministers quickly lowered their heads and closed their mouths.

Prince Chen took a step down. Staring at Camissiro: "Keep talking!"

"Yes, Your Highness. Camiciro paused. Only then did he continue: "Combat ground affairs in the air. After all, the airship unit is a new weapon, and the air unit is also a precedent that has not been seen in the empire for a thousand years...... No. It should be said that is. This is a new weapon that has never been seen before. After all, the concept of unprecedented new warfare has only appeared for a few short years. And this time the High Command is officially in control of this kind of thing. Practical application in Imperial Wars. Full of money. It's only been a little bit old!

After all, this is a new weapon, a completely new concept, although the military command has many experienced imperial generals and many civilian staff officers, familiar with various strategies and tactics, but after all, before this. No one has ever been exposed to this new thing. Not to mention the experience, I never even thought about it. And so it goes. In this short period of time. It is very difficult for the high command to completely control this new concept of ground warfare. It's still hard to come up with a perfect way to fight in the air, and we're slowly figuring it out, Your Highness. I have the audacity to say that this epoch-making new weapon and combat concept is like this. I'm afraid it's definitely not just one or two years or three or five years to be able to control the land! Accumulating experience can be a long process.

So, this time the crushing defeat of the Air Force. It's not that I'm shirking my responsibility. Rather, I think. The responsibility for this lies not in the military department, not in the personnel department, but in current affairs! It is not that the princes of the high command department do not work hard. And it's really ...... We don't understand!"

He was telling the truth. After all, if a new concept wants to be fully controlled and integrated, it is indeed not possible to achieve it in the short term.

Du Wei got out of the Air Force. But even in Du Wei's previous life. From the appearance of the first aircraft in the history of mankind (1903), to the first air battle in military history (1914). How many years did it take for the first large-scale application of the concept of air warfare (late World War I)?

But on the Roland continent. How long has it been since airships appeared, and how long has it been used in the military field?

What's more, this is a war from cold weapons. Jump directly into the air to fight, this kind of leapfrogging progress. Lack of sufficient military theoretical basis for war, let those in command. Even if you want to work hard, you can't figure it out. I don't know where to start.

Everybody knows it's good. But how to use it, how to use it well? This is not something that can be perfected in a day or two.

Prince Chen was silent, and he was silent for a while—after all, he was also a Ming Jun. is not a mediocre person, and at this moment he understands that what Camicillo said is the truth.

"That. What do you mean?" Emperor Tatsu lowered his voice and stared intently at Camichiro.

Cammisiro took a deep breath: "Your Highness! The impact on us is by no means as simple as the defeat on the battlefield! The enemy's air superiority is so great. If they desperately cross the line of defense and raid the inner belly of the empire. Even, raid dìdū, these things. That's what we have to pay attention to! I think about it now. This is the field of air operations. It's really unfathomable, and those enemies seem to be much ahead of us in this regard. So ......"

"Say whatever you want, I don't blame you. Prince Chen's eyes flickered.

"So. I often think to myself. To be able to invent this new weapon, and to think of applying it to the military field, the founder of Mo, Lord Tulip. It's amazing. Talent. And this new type of land field, and now the front line is defeated, not because the air force is useless, but because we can't use it, and we can't use it well, so. I think, I'm afraid in the field of air combat. No one else is up to the task.

I'm afraid that only Duke Tulip himself will be invited to preside. After all, this thing was invented by him. It was also he who first used the military route! Others, not as good as he is in this field, and. Duke Tulip is heroic, and has made great contributions in the pacification of the northwest and in the war to repel the steppe tiger and wolf land for the empire. He is also a good minister with outstanding military achievements......"

Camisiro said. I vaguely felt that there were many colleagues around. They are all looking at themselves with all kinds of surprise and complicated eyes, and even the regent above. Look into your own eyes. It's getting more and more warm and weird.

But at this moment, he did not hesitate at all. I could only grit my teeth and say loudly: "I am willing to recommend Duke Tulip, Du Wei & 8226: Rollin & 8226J Lord Rudolph, and recommend him as the commander of the Eastern Front in the theater." Go to the Eastern Front to preside over the overall situation and clean up the rotten battle!!"

Airplanes!

The last two sentences were said loudly, and suddenly everyone in the hall changed, and one by one they immediately made an uproar. Time. Everyone in the hall sighed and turned their heads to each other, and there were palace etiquette officials next to them who reminded them again and again. But I can't stop the discussion of these bigwigs.

Recommend Duke Tulip to the front line as a coach?

Camisiro ...... Isn't this guy stupid? A few years ago, it was clear that the royal family had a conflict with the Tulip family, and even the regent still remembered the old in his heart, and he still had some favor and appreciation for Duke Tulip -- but in this situation, whether it was public or private, even if it was just to avoid suspicion. Then Duke Tulip is absolutely not suitable to hold the military power anymore!!

Now this is the case. The Duke of Tulip had better stay in Dìdū obediently and be honest and peaceful, otherwise he would be in power once he was put in power. And it is also the military power of the front. Then once there is a situation where the monarch and the minister are suspicious......

Everyone thinks that this guy must be stupid in his head. That's the idea! Some people even think that Camiciro deliberately pushed Duke Tulip to the fire to roast it!

This kind of time. It's too late to hide. If you go to grasp the authority again, it will be the way to doubt!

The hall was talking for a while, but no one dared to stand up and speak, and Prince Chen seemed to be silent for a moment. There was a heavy expression on his face. In the end, it turned into a shallow smile at the corner of his mouth.

After a long time, he raised his hand and shouted dissatisfiedly: "What are you arguing about! Is this your own banquet hall?"

With his anger, the hall was quiet again.

Prince Tatsu walked down the steps, but this time he walked directly in front of Camiciro and stood in front of him. Condescending. Staring at Camicillo who was kneeling there, Prince Chen's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice: "Camichiro, you recommended Du Wei to go to the front line to preside over the overall situation. Isn't it?"

“...... Yes!"

Prince Chen didn't seem to be enough, and took a deep breath. Repeated. This time, he also deliberately deepened his tone: "You mean, you want Du Wei to be the commander in chief and go to the eastern front to command the front-line army?"

“...... Yes!" Camisiro was already sweating. But he paused violently, gritted his teeth and said, "Not bad." That's what I mean. ”

In the main hall, there was silence, and everyone stared nervously at Prince Chen.

The regent closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again. There was a strange light in his eyes, and a word slowly spit out from his mouth!

"Accurate!"

After the adjournment of the meeting. Camesilo walked out of the main hall and onto the palace square. But the whole person seemed to have collapsed, only to feel that his legs were fluttering, soft, and he couldn't even walk steadily, and when the cold wind blew, his body shivered, and he felt it. My underwear has already been soaked with sweat!

Anyway......

He subconsciously turned around to look at the palace hall behind him, and clenched his fists involuntarily.

Anyway...... I made the right bet.

But. I couldn't help but smile a little bitterly in my heart.

Old Prime Minister...... What do you mean by you teaching me to recommend Du Wei to come out and take control of the military power in public today......

I remember the battle report, in fact, I read it last night, last night. At home. The old prime minister, Robesschan, stared at him. At that time, the old man had a serious face, but he did not hesitate, and resolutely told himself: above the meeting, let yourself not worry, and directly recommend Du Wei!

At the same time, the old man also said something inscrutablely:

"Don't be afraid. Don't worry that the regent will be suspicious of you! At this time, you openly recommend Du Wei, but you can only make your 'clear' appear more and more! Moreover, ...... If I'm not mistaken. I'm afraid even if you don't say it. After a while, the regent is also going to send Du Wei to the front. ”

Sure enough, the old man who was dying actually guessed correctly!